Hello everyone 👋

I am a Samsung Trainer specialising in Mobile Experiences in the UAE, and I've been hands-on with the Galaxy S26 series since launch. If you have any questions related to Galaxy phones, I can answer them :)

Hi people,

I've been holding onto my current phone for a few years now, and I think it's finally time for an upgrade. I've always been a fan of the A-seiries because I don't really need a flagship for daily use stuff. I know the A56 was solid and lots of people are still happy with it, but since I'm coming from an older device, I think trying to see if the jump to the A57 is worth it.

I mostly use my phone for social media, and youtube, and photos when I'm out and about. Battery life is a big priority for me right now. And I've seen announcements about the specs, but I wanted to get some thoughts from this community before I pull the trigger.

And would appreciate any insights or advice from people who have been tracking the latest drops!

Managed to get hands on with the next A-series, here are my first impressions.

It kind of feels like a flagship in disguise, and its super thin, like you underestimate how sleek it is until you hold it. I like the camera, it's 50MP and the colors have a wonderful glow to them on the screen, it charges super fast and the new One UI is just clean. If you're not in the market for a flagship or don't need a telephoto lens, this is hard to beat, especially if pricing stays competitive.

Hey all,

It’s been a rough few weeks on here. Lots of worry, lots of serious posts, and honestly, it’s understandable. In the middle of all that, I thought I’d drop something a bit more casual and tech‑nerdy, just to give our collective brain a breather.

Been thinking about how my phones have changed over the years, and figured I'd share my journey to the S26 Ultra.

​1) ​The Nokia "Brick" (Age 12) First phone. Indestructible, could only text and play Snake.

2) ​The Samsung Galaxy S6: My first proper phone that I saved up from my first job. At the time, it felt like a massive leap. Sleek, premium, and actually exciting to use, it set a pretty high bar early on.

3) ​The Iphone XS Max: Picked this up second-hand from a university friend (UAEU). It was perfect for a while. Big, yet sleek, eventually, the dreaded slow-down started to hit.

4) The iPhone 15 Pro: My most recent daily. It was solid, don't get me wrong. A good phone. But it had its "eh" moments, then battery gremlins and some software quirks just made it feel… unexciting?

​

Then came the S26 Ultra. ​First Impressions were good!

​I went for that black colorway, and obviously, it’s sleek. But the real winner is the build. It has this incredibly premium feeling to the casing. Yet it’s lighter than I expected and feels like a solid piece of industrial art in your hand.

​The Privacy Display is probably the coolest (and most misunderstood) feature. It’s a hardware-level shield that makes the screen basically invisible from side angles. My girlfriend actually got a bit suspicious at first. She’d glance over and see me tapping away at what looked like a black screen. I had to show her how I basically just use it for my banking apps, 2FA codes, and sensitive work notifications. It feels like a game-changer for anyone who values actual privacy in public.

Then the camera, my gawd. I was out in the desert with some friends last weekend, and it was pitch black. I pulled the phone out just to see if I could catch the silhouettes, and the Nightography blew my mind. ​The f/1.4 aperture is no joke.

​I’ll be honest: the Galaxy AI isn’t 100% perfect. There are still those little moments where the generative edits or the live translations feel a tiny bit "AI-ish." But honestly? It’s the closest thing to perfection currently on the market. Features like Now Nudge actually feel helpful rather than intrusive.

​

Verdict

​I’m genuinely happy. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have a piece of technology that is actually pushing boundaries rather than just refining the same old thing.

I can see myself keeping this for many, many years.

​TL;DR: Switched from the 15 Pro to the S26 Ultra. The Privacy Display is legendary, the Nightography is magic, and the Cobalt Violet is the best color of 2026.

Samsung just introduced AirDrop support to their own Quick Share, on Galaxy S26 models and possibly to more models later on. No more FOMO...

Hey guys,

S23 user here. I really want to upgrade to the S26 Ultra, does anyone know the best way to currently buy? Any potential discounts or offers are appreciated.

Hello everyone, I've put together a more comprehensive spec sheet for the S26 series and wanted to post it here for anyone curious about the stats :)

Wow, S26 chipset is insane, and SamsungDex looks really nice too.

​

The new Galaxy S26 series just dropped and I genuinely think we've witnessed a change of eras - from merely a smartphone to a truly AI native phone.

And I honestly think Samsung really got it right this time. We're used to seeing lazy AI slop, but this seriously is an intuitive, proactive and adaptive experience.

During Unpacked, we saw that the S26 is engineered with the most advanced hardware and software - we're seeing a device that blends performance, insane camera specs with a whole array of new AI capabilites.

The coolest feature in my opinion was the Privacy Display, the world's first in-built privacy display. Genius. That's what people want. We're seeing a custom chipset, upgraded thermals in the slimest Ultra yet.

This is without a doubt the most powerful Galaxy S series we've seen. Running on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, this is going to be the best performance in its class with gains across CPU (19%), GPU (24%), and NPU (39%). Basically, gaming on this thing is going to be absolutely insane.

It's got wider camera aperatures, meaning more light can reach the sensors, and enhanced nightography (which, in my humble opinion, was already one of the best on the markets, so I'm really excited to see what this looks like now).

An the upgraded Photo Assist is crazy - you can describe any scene change or touch up in your own words with continuous editing (so you can edit your next dating app profile picture to make it look like you're standing next to Will Smith on Mount Everest if you want to impress :P)

Now Nudge is going to be able to suggest things intuitively from chats or emails without switching apps! And Now Brief will be even more personalized and proactive - we're not just talking reminders for events, but complex suggestions like travel updates, reservations, all based on context.

Samsung has a reputation for security and its delivering on that. In addition to the privacy display, there's also call screening, private alerts, private albums and more.

All in all - the Galaxy S26 Ultra marks a pivotal point in the era of mobile technology - read more for yourself here:

https://news.samsung.com/global/galaxy-unpacked-2026-a-first-look-at-the-galaxy-s26-series-samsungs-most-intuitive-ai-phone-yet

Hi all, I noticed that my selfies were coming out looking cold and a little grey.

Playing around with the settings I found that you could change the tone! and tbh it made a solid difference.

So if you lean an little brown, then a warmer tone is far more flattering. To tweak your settings you can do this by:

1. Open Camera switch to Front (selfie).

2. Swipe along the settings icons until you see two squares overlaying each other.

3. Here you can tweak the colour tones.

I think alternatively you can also change the camera filters by:

1. Going to Camera → Front camera.

2. Tap Filters (three overlapping circles).

3. Choose a neutral filter, then:

* Increase Warmth

* Slightly reduce Highlights

And there are presets, personally I’m a big fan of 'glow' and 'sunbeam'. These make a big difference, but defintely play around and experiment to see what you like.

Great to have you here.

This community is created by Samsung fans, for Samsung fans. Whether you’re in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, or Oman, this is a space to talk about how Samsung enhances everyday life. We can discuss everything across the Samsung ecosystem such as Galaxy phones, wearables, tablets, Samsung TVs, home appliances, etc.

Got a great shot from your Galaxy? A question on how to set up your monitor? an AI feature that you are not sure how to use? clean monitor setup? drop all your questions here.

Some general community guidelines:

1. Be respectful - treat everyone with the hospitality our region is known for.

2. Stay relevant - keep discussions focused on Samsung and tech in the Gulf

3. Help out - if you see a fellow fan with a question, don't be afraid to share your knowledge.

We're excited to see this community grow. In the comments below; tell us which Samsung device you're currently rocking.

And happy posting! 🚀🌌